Guam
is an island in the Pacific Ocean that is a United States territory—about the
size of Chicago. The population is just
over 160,000 people, who are American citizens by birth. The main industry for the island is tourism, with
the U.S. military in a close second place.

Guam
was captured by the Japanese just after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World
War II. It has been a critical location
for the U.S. Armed Forces ever since: Andersen Air Force Base on the island played
a major role during the Vietnam War, and the U.S. keeps a Naval base and Coast
Guard station on the island. In fact,
the American military takes up 30% of Guam’s land (See CIA map).

According
to the Pacific Air Forces report, two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers flew from
Andersen Air Force Base for a 10-hour training mission with Japanese and
Republic of Korea planes over the East China Sea, Kyushu, Japan, and the Korean
peninsula on Monday. On Tuesday, the
North Korean army announced that it is examining operational plans for
attacking the island of Guam.

The
Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) includes
a set of maps of the island of Guam. The
Army Map Service published a map of Guam in 1943 (above, click to enlarge) in preparation of recapturing
the island during World War II. Palm
trees mark the beaches along the northern part of the island where the Andersen
Air Force Base is now located. And the
area around Apra Harbor is completely undeveloped with just a few streets near
the historic Spanish fort. An unmarked airfield
is shown on the map, just below “Botadero,” and seaplane landing sites are
identified.

The
GRMC also includes a complete set of U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps of
Guam that were published in 1975. These
maps detail the development of Andersen Air Force Base. And the map of Apra Harbor—now marked “Apra
Harbor Naval Reservation”—shows the development of power plants, a sewage
disposal plant, and a fire station. The
airfield is identified as abandoned, and the map marks the location of a
Japanese cemetery and caves from World War II.

The
topographic maps of the Andersen Air Force Base provide details about
the military buildup near the end of the Vietnam War. Airfields had been built on the northwest and
northeast areas of Guam. The green on
the map denotes wooded areas.

A
2006 nautical chart from the GRMC provides information about water depths
around the island. The street patterns
have remained largely unchanged.
Nautical charts also identify the locations of wreckage, as seen near
Apra Harbor.

For
more information about using historic maps and charts to study development and
urban planning, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.